Method and apparatus for forming letters and symbols in the air



Jue 11, `1929. J, T REMEY L 1,716,795

METHODV AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING LETTERS AND SYMBOL'S IN THE AIR origial Filed Dec. '7, 1925 IIIIIIHHIIUU! F@ isi-siem umunmul'll Patented .lune 11, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. REMEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MIETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING LETTERS AND SYMBOLS IN THE AIR.

Original application filed December 7, 1923, Serial No. 679,239. Divided and this applicationI led October 30, 1928.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 679,239, filed December 7, 1923.

This invention is a method and apparatus for forming letters or symbols in the air by means of smoke trails, which may be called sky typing.

The letter or symbol is built up from a plurality of smoke trails, which are substantially parallel and generally contiguous. These smoke trails are formed from a plurality of smoke-emitting units which have relative movement with respect to the air.

More specifically, the contiguous smoke trails are formed by dropping in succession small smoke-producing bombs7 from a moving aircraft, eachv bomb being designed to trace a smoke trail ofany desired length at any point in its fall. These bombs are preferably suspended in series along a fuse, which, as it burns, releases the bombs and lights them. Each of these bombs carries one or more smoke-producing segments with a fuse extending through each segment. The position of each segment on this fuse determines at what point it starts to produce smoke; the length of each segment determines the time it will produce smoke, that is to say, determines the length of the` smoke trail this bomb will produce during its fall. It is evident that the smoke trails are substantially perpendicular to the direction of flight of the aircraft.

The broader features of the invention having been outlined, the preferred apparatus for carrying it out will now be described. It should be understood that the structural details here described`are only illustrative.

of the invention, and that it may be carried out in other ways than in the precise form shown in the accompanying drawings In these drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the letter built up out of a plurality of contiguous and parallel smoke trails.

Fig. 2 is a holder' for the smoke emitting units.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail of a smoke emitting element.

The term trail or smoke trail, as herein used, means a pillar or column of smoke ofsubstantial length, formed when a smoke-emitting element progresses through the air. The smoke emitting or smoke form- Serial No. 316,052.

ing elements, which for convenience will be called bombs are shown at 10, and are about forty or fifty for each letter; each bomb has a fuse 11 extending therethrough, the upper ends of the fuses being connected to a master fuse 12, held in a slotted tube 13 suitably mount-ed in an aircraft. Associated with tube 13 is an open ended casing 14.

Each fuse l0 is provided with one or more smoke-producing segments 15 made of any desired smoke producing materials, the length of each segment being regulated according to the length of each smoke trail this bomb is intended to trace, and the placement of each segment being regulated according to the desired placement of the smoke trails. The bomb of Fig. 4 will first trace two short, separated trails, and then a longer trail. Graded weights 16 may be carried by the bombs, so as to bring them to approximately the same weight. The segments 15 will be designed with due regard lto the acceleration of the fall of the bomb.

The composition of thefuses 11 and 12, f

and the composition of the smoke forming material l5 are known in the` prior art, and are selected according to the desired rate of burn, according to the color and density and volume of slnoke desired, and according to the rate of burn desired. The term smoke herein used is not limited in meaning to products of combustion, but is intended to cover any material that would make a visible cloud, such, for example, as titanium tetrachloride.

The operation is as follows The master fuse is lighted; as it burns at uniform rate, it will release the bombs at a uniform rate, lighting each one as it is released. Fuse 11 in the bomb burns uniformly and traces one or more slnoke trails as determined by the segments 15. In Fig. 1, the smoke trails form the letter R.

Any other suitable mechanism could be used for dropping the bombs in succession.

Instead of dropping the smoke bombs from a moving aircraft, they could be dropped .from a holder or easing that is moved by gravity or power along a suspended wire or cable.

While I have described my method and apparatus in some detail, it should be understood that the disclosure is illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, and that it may be embodied in other structural forms.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method. of forming letters or symbols With smoke, comprising releasing smoke-emitting elements from a moving carrier, and controlling the length and placement of the smoke trails thus formed, the smoke trails being substantially parallel and located in a substantially vertical plane.

2. 'lhe method of forming letters or symbols with smoke, comprising dropping a succession of smoke-emitting elements from a moving carrier and allowing them to fall by gravity in a substantially Vertical plane, and controlling the length and placement of the smoke trails, thereby building up theletter or symbol With a plurality of substantially parallel smoke trails.

3. The method of forming letters or symbols with smoke, comprising projecting from a moving carrier, a succession of smokeemitting elements and controlling the length and placement of the smoke trails formed by the smoke-emitting elements, the Asmokeemitting elements traveling in substantially parallel paths and vforming smoke trails which are substantially parallel.

fl. The method of forming letters or symbols in the sky With smoke With an aircraft, comprising building up the letter or symbol with a plurality of contiguous and substantially parallel smoke trails which are substantially perpendicular to the line of flight of the aircraft.

5. The method of forming letters or symbols in the sky With smoke with an aircraft, comprising flying the aircraft in a substantially straight path, and releasing in succession from the aircraft a plurality of smokeemitting elements -which form substantially parallel smoke trails Which are substantially perpendicular to the direction of flight of the air craft.

6. The method of forming letters or symbols in the sky with smoke with an aircraft, comprising flying the aircraft in a substantially straight path, and releasing in succession from the aircraft a plurality of smoke-emitting bombs or the like which form trails lof smoke the bombs being provided with time-fuses for controlling the placement and length of the smoke trails, whereby a plurality of substantially parallel smoke trails is produced to form the letter or symbol, the smoke trails being substantially perpendicular to the direction of flight of the aircraft. 4

7. An apparatus for forming letters or symbols in the air With smoke, comprising a holder adapted to be carried by an aircraft, a plurality of elements which emit smoke for a period sufiicient to form smoke trails, carried in said holder, and means for dropping the smoke-emitting elements in succession, for forming a plurality of parallel smoke trails all substantially perpendicular to the direction of flight of the aircraft.

8. An apparatus for forming letters or symbols in the air with smoke, comprising a holder adapted to be carried by an aircraft, a plurality of elements which emit smoke for a period sufficient to form smoke trails, carried in said holder; the smokeemitting elements being provided With time fuse-s for controlling the placement of the smoke trails, and means for dropping the smoke-emitting elements in succession, for forming a plurality of parallel smoke trails which are substantially perpendicular to the direction of flight of the aircraft.

9. An apparatus for forming letters or symbols in the air with smoke, comprising a holder adapted to be carried by an aircraft, a plurality of elements which emit smoke fora period sufficient to form smoke trails, carried in said holder; the smoke-emitting elements being/provided Withv time fuses for controlling the placement of the smoke trails and with smoke forming material the amount of which controls the length of the respective smoke trail,iand means for dropping the smoke-emitting elements in succession, for forming a plurality of parallel smoke trails Which arel substantially perpendicular to the direction of flight of the aircraft.' l

10. An apparatus' for forming letters or symbols in the air With smoke, comprising a holder adapted to ybe carried by an aircraft, a plurality of elements which emit smoke for a period sutlicient to form smoke trails, carried in said holdergveach smokeemitting elementbeing provided With a time fuse and With one or more blocks of smoke forming material, depending on whether said element is to form one or more smoke trails; the smoke-emitting elements being provided with time fuses for controlling the placement of the smoke trails and means for dropping the smoke-emitting elements in succession, whereby a letter or symbol is built up from a plurality of contiguous and substantially parallel smoke trails, `which are substantially perpendicular to the direction of flight of the aircraft.

In testimony whereof I hereunto allix my signature.

JOHN T. REMEY. 

